attribution

noun

at·​tri·​bu·​tion ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən 

plural attributions

1

: the act of attributing something

especially : the ascribing of a work (as of literature or art) to a particular author or artist

2

: an ascribed quality, character, or right

Supernatural powers were attributions of the gods.

3

psychology : the interpretive process by which people make judgments about the causes of their own behavior and the behavior of others

Psychologists have long documented what they call the fundamental attribution error, the tendency for people to explain human behavior in terms of the traits of individual actors, even when powerful situational forces are at work.

—Erica Goode

attributional

ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• attribute
• characteristic
• feature
• quality
• trait
• criterion

Examples of attribution in a Sentence

a genuine respect for one another is one of the most commonly cited attributions of a happily married couple

Recent Examples on the Web

Firstly, the technology addresses speaker attribution through the color coding of captions and is particularly useful for scenes when multiple people are speaking through swift exchanges. —Gus Alexiou, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Most often, in fact, the messages received from mediums were from soldiers, and they were detailed enough to fill entire books which were published under the attribution of the soldier’s name. —Alice Vernon september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025

This article was updated to change the attribution of the statement from Greyhound because the company informed The Denver Post that the attribution had changed after publication. —Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025

Update: This report has been updated with attribution to court documents regarding Boodarian's Aug. 20 arraignment. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see attribute entry 1

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for attribution

• absolution
• allocution
• comminution
• constitution
• contribution
• convolution
• destitution
• devolution
• diminution
• dissolution
• distribution
• elocution

Legal Definition

attribution

noun

at·​tri·​bu·​tion ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən 

: a rule in tax law that in certain cases deems property owned by one person or business entity to be owned by another or others